Chapter One
Impurities (Najasat) and Purifiers (Motahirat)
Impurities
(A) Al-A‘yan an-Nejiseh (inherently-impure things)
These are eight in number:
First and second: Urine and stools
27. For the urine or stools of an animal to be impure, three conditions must be collectively present:
1- The animal must have a ‘fluid’ soul, and this means that the animal has arteries and veins from which blood flows out forcefully when slaughtered, in comparison to animals from which the blood flows out without force.
2- Its meat must be prohibited to eat according to the Sharī‘ah, whether the animal is prohibited as a food originally (such as lions, cats, wolves etc), or is prohibited to eat due to an external event such as the cow that a man had had intercourse with and so its meat becomes prohibited, or the sheep that is given pig’s milk and grows using that milk, or the chicken that feeds from man’s stools and grows on it.
3- It must not be a bird.
If the animal does not satisfy any one of these conditions, its urine and stools are pure.
28. If it is doubted that one of these conditions is present in an animal, the ruling is that its urine and stools are pure.
Third: Blood
29. The blood of a man and any animal which has a ‘fluid’ soul is impure, so this renders impure the blood of man and all animals, except fish and insects, such as snakes, locusts, flies etc.
30. The blood seen inside eggs is impure as an obligatory precaution (ahwat wojūban).
31. Blood that comes out of mosquitoes and the like is pure, even if they have just sucked it out of a man’s or animal’s body.
32. Blood left in the slaughtered animal after it has been slaughtered in the Islamic way, and after the expected quantity of blood had come out, is pure.
33. If it is doubted that a condition that renders blood impure – that the animal has a ‘fluid’ soul – the blood is ruled pure; also when it is doubted that that red fluid is blood or not. In summary: it must be known that this is blood, and that it is from an animal of a ‘fluid’ soul, before it is ruled as impure.
Four: Semen
34. Semen from every animal that has a ‘fluid’ soul is impure. As for other secretions, such as methy (secretion that comes out during sexual arousal) and wedy (secretion that comes out after urinating), they are pure.
Fifth: The dead
35. A dead animal is impure when it is a question of an animal of ‘fluid’ soul. The dead within the Sharī‘ah laws covers:
a- Animals that have died without slaughtering.
b- Animals slaughtered, but not according to the Sharī‘ah; it is called ‘ghair al-Mothekka’.
36. The impure state in the dead covers the parts that life was present in; parts that life is not present in are pure, such as feathers, wool, horns, bones, eggs in which the outermost skin of the embryo is covered; also the rennet and the milk inside the breast if the animal is allowed to eat, and they do not need to be purified even that they touched the dead. However, this does not include the dead that are inherently impure (‘ayn nejis), when nothing is excluded.
37. The slaughtered animal is either taken from a Muslim or from a non-Muslim. So, here are two situations:
First: If it is taken from a Muslim, then it is ruled pure and allowed, and it is not obligatory to ask the Muslim seller about its source or the way it was slaughtered. This ruling also covers the situation when it is taken from a non-Muslim but the buyer knows that the latter has taken it from a Muslim. However, if the non-Muslim informs him that he has taken it from a Muslim, this does not make eating it allowable unless he is satisfied with this information; as for the state of purity, its ruling comes in the following situation.
Second: If it is taken from a non-Muslim, the ruling is that it is not allowed to be eaten, but it is ruled pure and prayer can be performed wearing it (i.e. if the thing is skin etc) on the condition that it is probable that this thing taken from the animal was (already) mothekka (slaughtered according to the Sharī‘ah), and this is probable because of the existence of a lot of Muslims who care about slaughtering or importing it from Muslim markets. This ruling includes the situation where it is taken from a Muslim but is known that the latter had taken it from a non-Muslim, or a non-Muslim country, unless if the buyer believes that it is probable that that seller was certain of its allowable state, through seeing him eating it for example, in which case it is ruled allowable to eat.
38. Things such as scales/skins or thin skin that comes from of man’s body, such as the skin that flakes away from the lips and the like, whether this takes place as a result of rubbing, peeling off or falling on its own, all these are pure. However, the flesh that is cut off a living body is ruled, like the dead, as impure, unless it stayed hanging from the body, even if by a thread of skin, in which case it remains pure.
39. When it is doubted that the condition of impurity is present in the dead, such as if it is doubted whether the animal had a ‘fluid’ soul or not, or that the part in question was from such an animal, the ruling is purity.
Sixth and seventh: The dog and pig
40. Dogs and pigs are impure, and all their parts, including the parts which life is not present in.
Eighth: Jellaleh camels' sweat
41. The sweat of jellaleh camels is impure; jellaleh camels are those animals that feed on human stools until its flesh grows and its bones strengthen.
Other things
42. Alcohol is pure in all its kinds, as well as everything that causes drunkenness and is originally fluid; also solid things that cause drunkenness, such as hasheesheh (drug), is pure without dispute.
43. It is probable (aqwa) that grape extract is pure if it is brought to the boil and less than two thirds of it evaporates; however it is an obligatory precaution to avoid eating and drinking it until two thirds of it have been evaporated by boiling, so that they become allowed.
44. Foqa‘– it seems it is a beer commonly known in our time - is a drink that causes drunkenness taken from barley; it is pure, although it is better to be avoided, and it is prohibited because it causes drunkenness.
45. It is probable (aqwa) that all human beings are pure; however, it is better to avoid anything that a non-Muslim, other than People of the Book (kitabī), has touched.
46. The sweat of the person who has not washed from jenabeh that followed a forbidden sexual act (i.e. the person became jonob from a forbidden act such as adultery, masturbation or intercourse during menstrual period) is pure. Also, it is acceptable to pray in clothes that bear that sweat.
(B) How things become impure and their rulings
47. Pure things become impure when they touch one of the previously listed inherently-impure things (a‘yan nejiseh) with the presence of a spreading wetness in one of them; spreading wetness is when water is present and its effect appears when is transferred (between the two things in question); however, if it is doubted that such wetness is present, the ruling is one of purity.
48. If an inherently impure thing touches another thing, the latter is called al-Motenejjis al-Awwel (the first thing affected by the impurity); if the impure thing left it then it (the touched thing) touched another (second) thing, then if al-Motenejjis al-Awwel is fluid, the second thing would definitely become impure, and if it was solid and was touched bya spreading wetness, it would become impure as an obligatory precaution ruling, and this is regardless of its state being fluid or solid; but as for the second thing, which is called al-Motenejjis ath-Thanī (the second thing affected by the impurity), it does make impure the things that it touches at all, i.e. al-Motenejjis ath-Thanī does not make impure what it touches, whether the two parties are solid or fluid or one of them solid and the other fluid.
49. If flies or the like land on an inherently impure thing then land on a pure thing, the latter is not considered impure unless it is ascertained that some of the impurity has stayed on it and that the touch was accompanied by wetness.
50. Impurity is ascertained through one of the following ways:
a- Knowledge, or the satisfaction that it took place.
b- The witness of two just believers, or one just believer, or a trustworthy person.
c- The person which that thing is under his/her disposal informing about it, such as the wife or servant informing him that the thing is impure.
51. If one knows that one of two (or more) containers is impure but does not know which one, there are two situations:
a- When both containers are under his disposal, which is called ‘ash-Shobhah al- Mahsourah’ (a contained doubt), he should avoid both of them and not use them in acts in which purity is a condition. However, if someone puts his hand in any of them, his hand does not become impure.
b- When one of them is outside his disposal, which is called ‘ash-Shobheh ghair al- Mahsourah’, and he is absolutely sure about the container he has, or the one in another house which he does not use, it is not obligatory to avoid the container which he has and it is ruled pure.
Purifiers
Purifying from an-Nejaseh al-Khebethiyyeh takes place with the following:
(A) Water
Which is the most important purifier, the rulings of which are as follows:
First: The types of water
52. Water may be divided into two types, according to its nature:
1- Pure water (motlaq): which is the commonly known pure water, such as the water of rivers, springs, seas etc. This type is listed among the purifiers.
2- Mixed water (moodaf): which is of two types:
a- Water mixed with another substance that changes its colour, taste or odour, such as water mixed with sugar, salt, tea etc.
b- Every fluid substance the nature of which is different to that of water, such as rose water, orange or pomegranate juices, petrol etc.
This type is not one of the purifiers, and it does not remove a Hadeth or khebeth, and gets affected by impurities touching it however small the impurity and however abundant the added water.
53. Pure water is divided, according to its quantity and source, into two types:
Abundant water (katheer), which is of many types:
1- Running water (jaree): it is – in most cases – water that comes out from under the ground, flowing from it into underground or overground channels, such as the water of rivers, wells and springs that do not diminish as a result of taking water from them; there is no condition for the amount flowing out to be more abundant than a korr (korr = 27 cubic handspan/377kg).
2- Rain water: without any distinction between showers or drizzle that can be called rain.
3- Still water (rakid) which is equal in volume to one korr.
The ruling regarding these three types of water is that they do not become impure unless one of its three features - colour, taste or odour - changes with the impurity; this comes with two conditions:
a- The change must take place with the colour, taste or odour of the impurity not the water in question.
b- The change must take place through the immediate touching/mixing of the impurity, not if the impurity was merely near the water.
A small amount of water (qaleel), which is below a korr in measure, and is different to the korr water in that it becomes impure by mere touching/mixing with the cause of impurity, in a way in which the water in question can be affected by the impurity if it, or an affected (motenejjis) substance/body, falls in it; so if it is poured over the impurity from a decanter, for instance, the water column coming down from the decanter does not become impure, likewise what is in the decanter. The same goes for the under-korr water forcefully flowing from the bottom to the impurity lying at the top; neither the water column nor its source becomes impure since pushing (one another) prevents it from getting affected.
4. All the previously mentioned types of water can be used in purifying, whether from Hadeth or khebeth, the explanation of which will come later in the rules of purifying using water.
55. When it becomes impure, pure water (motlaq) may be purified by pouring a korr of water into it, or running water or rain into it, or by connecting the two. However, mixed water (moodaf) cannot be purified because it is mixed.
Second: The general rules of purifying with water
56. So that purifying with water can occur, the following must be take place:
1- The removal of the impurity (‘ayn an-Nejaseh), such as blood or stools, if it is present, and this can take place using water or other removing agents; to remove the impurity, it is the removal of the substance that is apparent suffices, not necessarily its colour or odour, although removing them makes the purity better and more comprehensive.
2- Performing many washes, i.e. pouring water more than once, which is obligatory when some things become impure through some inherently-impure things. For this to take place, a pause between each two successive pourings must take place; hence it is not sufficient simply to pour, in one go, a large amount of water that is equal to the water to be poured in the many washes intended,.
3- The water stays pure when it is used for purifying, and for this it is sufficient to have this water overwhelming the impure thing for a moment, even if it did change afterwards. And when more than one wash is obligatory, it is sufficient that the last wash is pure – as explained just above – so that purity is achieved, but this is not a condition in the washes before that.
4- When using under-korr water, it must be poured over the impure thing; it is incorrect to throw the impure thing in it.
5- Washing machine water can remove an impure spot, whether the flow of water on it moves it or whether this is achieve through washing by hand, or with a tool, or by wiping with a piece of cloth. This is when using the under-korr water in particular. As for using abundant water, this is not required unless when more than one wash is obligatory; yes, for the last wash in particular abundant water should be used, but such movement is not a condition.
57. If one chooses to remove the impurity by water, it is sufficient to pour water until the inherently-impure thing is removed, then one should keep on pouring a little. This is counted as two washes; if it needs more than two washes, one must stop pouring after the second wash, between the washes. It is not enough to keep on pouring using an amount equal to that intended to be used for all the washes, as mentioned earlier.
Third: How to purify clothes etc
58. It is sufficient to purify clothes, bedlinen and similar cloth and textiles from all impurities by washing them once, after removing the inherently-impure thing, either in one separate wash or one that is continuous from the purifying wash, as mentioned above in the rules of purifying.
59. Clothes must be rinsed, or rubbed, or the like, with two conditions:
a- When the impurity passed through the material, or if it only touched the surface of the clothes or bed, rinsing is not obligatory.
b- Purifying is done by under-korr water, but if it is done by abundant water, rinsing is not obligatory, unless the inherently-impure thing stayed and was removed by water, in which case rinsing after that removal wash is necessary.
60. It is sufficient for the rinsing to be done in any way that removes the water of the washing machine from the clothes etc, whether using rinsing, wringing or the fast spinning of electric washers.
61. If some of the washing powder that became impure is found on the clothes, then if it is similar to the soap through which water did flow, its inside is pure; as for its outside, it is always pure; but if it comes from shampoos and similar fluids, their place must be purified except if it is evident from the colour only, this is assuming that it had become impure when touching the clothes.
Fourth: How to purify containers
62. Containers here are those which people use for food and drink as are commonly known, but these may differ according to time and place; this includes pots, trays, plates, glasses, decanters etc, but not things like tisht (a wide circular bowl used to wash clothes), even if food is placed in it in an exceptional circumstances.
63. If a dog drinks from a plate, or licks it without drinking, it must be treated with soil (ta‘fīr) before purifying with water, the soil being pure as an obligatory precaution. Treatment with soil is done by putting an amount of soil or sand in the container, then adding some water, and the container is wiped with the water-soil mixture, then it is washed with water to remove the soil; then it has to be washed either once by abundant water or twice by under-korr water. But if the plate was empty and it licked it with its tongue, there is no need to do ta‘fīr for the whole plate, but only the area affected by the licking.
64. Containers from which pigs have drunk, or in which rats have died, must be washed seven times with abundant or under-korr water. Such rats are the big rodents commonly known, and the ruling does not include small mice that live in houses and fields.
65. If the container becomes impure due to things other than those mentioned above, it is sufficient to purify it with under-korr water three times, or with an abundant amount once.
66. Since alcohol is pure according to our opinion, containers do not become impure when touching or holding it, although it is better to wash them three times with under-korr water or abundant water.
67. For large containers that are fixed so water cannot be poured out of them, it is sufficient to pour under-korr water in them then take it out using a utensil, then pour again and take it out for the obligatory number of times. Such utensils are subject to the same purity rulings and so they must be purified if they become a motenejjis thani (the second thing affected by the impurity), otherwise not.
Fifth: How to purify the other impure (motenejjis) things
68. To purify the other impure things it is sufficient to wash them once with water, after removing the inherently-impure thing in a separate or continuous wash, without any difference between purifying with under-korr water or with abundant water.
69. Oil or fluid ghee cannot be purified if it becomes impure, and in this case it cannot be used except where purity is not a condition.
70. Impure milk can be made pure by making it into cheese, then putting the cheese in korr water until water reaches the inside; all the conditions of purifying apply.
71. The presence of oily fat (dessem) on meat, fat, the hands or olives does not prevent purifying with water, as long as it does not have apparent body.
(B) Earth
72. Earth means everything that can be called earth; distinctions between types can be made as follows:
1- The natural earth, with which man had had no interference with, such as soil, sand, pebbles and all types of rock. This type is without doubt a purifier, without exception between what was attached to the earth or separate, such as if soil or rocks are brought and put on the rooftop of a house.
2- The unnatural earth which man had manipulated, such as earth covered with asphalt, cement, baked brick or limestone, which is baked; these are considered purifier substances as well.
3- Whatever is covered with things that are not part of earth at all, such as things covered with wood or fitted carpet or the like, in which no element of the earth’s natural elements is present, this is not earth and cannot be used for purification.
4- The buildings that are elevated above the earth, such as the floor of a house, or its roof, this is also earth as far as purification is concerned, provided of course that it is of the kinds mentioned in the first two categories above, not the third.
73. Earth purifies the sole (i.e. earth facing side) of the foot, and the soles of shoes, scuff and socks; also the sole of artificial legs, the amputees’ cane/stick and the knees and palms of those who crawl on them, (however) it is better not to include the last four in this ruling.
74. There are conditions for purifying with earth:
1- The removal of the inherently-impure thing, if it is present.
2- The impurity occurred as a result of walking on the ground/floor.
3- The earth is dry – this is an obligatory precaution. It is not a condition that the floor is pure, nor that the slipper or feet are wet when walking on it.
75. It is enough, when purifying with earth, to walk on it, or to wipe with it if the inherently-impure thing has been removed by means other than walking; otherwise walking or wiping must continue until the inherently-impure thing is removed. It is better to walk fifteen armspan, even if it is removed with shorter a distance.
(C) The sun
76. Purification with sunshine is applicable for certain things, which can be divided into two parts:
a- What is considered natural earth or part of it; this includes the earth itself and everything on it, such as plants, rocks, trees and the leaves and fruits on them.
b- Whatever is not considered part of the natural earth but bodies that are fixed or built on it, such as buildings and whatever go with them (doors, windows, ropes, fences) or man-made water ponds and channels and the like, or moving bodies that are commonly considered fixed such as ships, aeroplanes, cars and industrial tools.
77. Whatever can be separated from its unremovable origins is considered removable, such as harvested fruits, soil after removing it from earth, parts from things such as ships; but if they are returned to their origins, the ruling for that origin applies to them.
78. The conditions for purifications with the sun are:
1- The existence of wetness in the impure body, and so the sun dries it out when it is allowed to shine onto it; the wetness does not need to be spreading.
2- The direct shining of the sun on the impure body.
3- The exclusiveness of the sun in the drying (of the body), so if drying depends on the sun and the wind, for example, it is not sufficient, unless if the effect of the wind is minimal.
4- The removal of the inherently-impure thing, if present, with the sunshine, otherwise the sunshine and the wetness are enough to achieve a pure state.
79. A dry impure thing can be purified with the sun by pouring water on it to make it wet, then if it dries out in the sunshine, it becomes pure.
(D) Transformation/change (istihalah)
80. istihalah is the transformation/change of the nature of something into another nature, such as the transformation/change of wood into ash or coal, the semen into an animal, the urine or impure water into vapour and the dead into soil; this is based on common knowledge, not precise science.
81. Transformation/change purifies both inherently-impure and impure things.
82. The transformation/change of features that does not reach the extent of changing the nature of the substance – such as when milk becomes cheese, wheat becomes dough or bread, etc – does not make a thing pure.
(E) Place transfer
83. The blood of a fluid-soul creatures, like the blood of humans and animals, becomes pure once it enters the bodies of insects which have no fluid soul, such as when man’s blood enters a mosquito's body.
(F) Absence
84. A thing that has become impure when it was left with other people and the person was absent for a period of time is ruled as pure on the following conditions:
1- The owner of the thing must know that it is impure.
2- The owner must regard it as impure – whether through his own ijtihad or through teqlid.
3- There is a good probability that the owner did purify it, such as if the thing is something that the owner would use with the condition of purity.
4- The owner is someone who is concerned about purity.
(G) The removal of inherently-impure things
85. Animals, insects and the interior parts of humans become pure from the impurities befalling them merely by the removal of the inherently-impure things by any means. According to this, the interior parts of humans, such as the inside of the mouth, nose and ear, become pure when the inherently-impure thing or the impure thing (motenejjis) is removed. However, removable false teeth must be purified with water. The inside of the eyelids and lips are regarded as part of the interior parts, while the outside is not.
(H) Tebe‘iyyeh
86. Tebe‘iyyeh is the ruling that something is pure as a result of the purity of another thing due to the relationship between them, such as the tools that are used to wash the dead, the hands of the person doing the washing, the cloth used in washing the dead and the washing surface; these all become pure when the dead body is purified.
(I) Istibra’ of the jellal animal (one which feeds on impurities)
87. The jellal animal becomes pure when it has fed on clean food for a period of time after which it is no longer considered a jellal – this is the term ‘istibra’’; it is better to keep on feeding camels for forty days, cows for thirty days, sheep for ten days, ducks for five days and chickens for three days, even if they are no longer considered as jellal after a shorter period.
The tekhellī rulings
Tekhelli is finding a khelweh (empty place) for passing urine or stools. This can be explained as follows:
First – the place of tekhellī:
88. It is forbidden to use places owned by others for such purposes without their permission, which may be ascertained through indications that imply his permission to use them. That said, there is no need for permission in large areas, unless if the owner announces his refusal.
89. It is permitted to use lavatories in public (awqaf) places, such as mosques, Husainiyyehs, schools, clubs etc, unless they (the lavatories) are exclusive to certain people such as the worshippers in the mosque or the students in the school, something which, if known, makes it forbidden for people other than the worshippers etc to use for tekhelli.
90. It is forbidden to perform tekhelli on public roads and places where people rest, such as public car parks or gardens, if this causes harm to people; it becomes mekruh (recommended not to do) even when there is no harm to people; also it is mekruh to do tekhelli in water, especially still/standing water, or under fruit trees; urination is mekruh on hard ground and in the holes where insects live.
Second – concealing the ‘awreh:
91. It is obligatory for a person to conceal his ‘awreh from onlookers, whether during tekhelli or otherwise, using anything suitable for a partition or cover when onlookers are present or probable.
92. The ‘awreh of a man is his penis, testes and anus, whether the onlookers are male or female, unmarriageable relatives (meharim) or others, including the insane and children who have not reached bolugh (the Islamic legal age) if they know and were aware of the meaning of the sexual act and the meaning of ‘awreh and its sexual function; excluded from this ruling is the wife, even if during the revocable divorce time period (‘iddeh of a rej’i divorce), and the young child who is unaware of such matters (ghair al-Momeyyiz).
93. A woman must cover all her body except the face, hands and feet; the ruling regarding looking at women and their body or ‘awreh – which is the vagina and anus – is as follows:
a- The ‘awreh must be covered/concealed and it is forbidden to look at it for any male from among the unmarriageable or others (ajanib). As for females, looking is allowed when there is need for this, such as giving birth, medical examination and other commonly-acknowledged needs and necessities, but it has to be without desire, and is not allowed in other situations,. Those excluded from this ruling are the husband and the young child who is unaware of such matters.
b- The (ruling regarding the) whole of the body that must be covered, and forbidding looking at it, is exclusive to males who are not amongst the unmarriageable relatives, including the insane and children who have not reached bolugh but have awareness of such matters; although it is better for unmarriageable men not to look to what is between the bellybutton and knees of their unmarriageable women.
94. Concealing of the ‘awreh is done by concealing its surface, but it is not necessary to conceal its size or features (behind the clothes), unless this affects the onlooker and stirs desire, such as in tight clothes that do not conceal the size of the ‘awreh, and the like.
95. It is allowed to look to the ‘awreh in compelling situations such as for treatment or rescue from drowning etc; it is also allowed when unavoidable, and in extreme difficulty that cannot be averted such as in situations of shame, impropriety, intense humiliation and the like.
Third – the direction of the body during tekhelli:
96. It is better not to face the qibleh (the Ka’beh in Mecca) with the front of the body, nor with the back, during tekhelli; the front of the body includes the chest, abdomen and the knees; this applies whether performing this act inside buildings or in the open.
97. To achieve the condition above, i.e. not facing the qibleh with the front or back, it is sufficient to just turn at an angle that it is commonly accepted to be not facing the qibleh or showing his back to it, so it is not necessary to turn through 90° to achieve this.
Fourth – purifying the two outlets (istinja’):
98. It is sufficient to purify the place of urination by under-korr water twice, the first wash to remove the inherently-impure things; if pouring water is continuous after the removal of that, one wash is sufficient; one wash is sufficient as well when using abundant water.
99. Purifying the place of stools can be done by one of the following methods:
a- With water, and this is done by continuously pouring water until the inherently-impure things are removed and the place becomes clean, without the need for many (separate) washes, whether using under-korr water or abundant water.
b- By wiping it with anything that dislodges the inherently-impure things and removes them, such as with stones, paper, wood, iron etc; three pieces of these things must be used even if cleanliness is achieved place with less; also, it is obligatory to do it more than three times if cleanliness is not achieved, until it is achieved. The pieces must be pure, and the inherently-impure thing must not move outside the anus, so if it moves and the areas around the anus became dirty with it, only water can purify it; the same applies if blood came out with stools or if something impure touches the anus.
100. If after leaving the place of tekhelli, one becomes doubtful whether the area has been purified or not, one should regard it as not pure even if one normally does purify it. If such doubt takes place after prayer, the prayer is valid, but the area must be purified for the following prayers.
101. Istibra’ is recommended for men after urinating, and this is done by using the finger to wipe from the anus to the base of the penis under the testes three times, then wiping the penis from its base above the testes to its tip three times, then to squeeze the head (Hashefeh) three times, or to pull it (move it up and down) three times, in a way that leaves no urine in the urethra, then to purify the area with water. The benefit of this is to avoid any wetness being seen after urinating and so if it is not known whether the wetness is urine or not, it is considered as pure, keeping the ablution valid, whilst if he has not performed istibra’, the wetness is ruled as impure and ablution has to be done again.
As for women, there is no istibra’, and the wetness coming out after purifying the urine outlets is ruled as pure, unless it is certain that it is urine.
The water used for purifying the areas of urine and stools is pure even if it is scarce, provided that it is free of any inherently-impure thing; that said, it is not allowed to use it in ablution or washing, as shall be explained later.